Bingo frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Bingo is a form of minor gaming allowed for the benefit of community and charitable organisations.

Players receive a ticket(s) with randomly numbered squares, then players mark off the numbers as they are randomly drawn and announced. To win, a player must be the first to mark off all numbers on their ticket and call "line", or "pattern", or "bingo" or make an audible noise or have another person call on his or her behalf.

A bingo session is when no more than 30 games of bingo are conducted within an eight-hour period. The aim of the game may vary depending on what version is being played.

A bingo centre operator may also run bingo sessions on behalf of a declared community or charitable organisation. The bingo centre operator may charge a fee to run bingo and may recover their expenses up to a set limit.

As stated by the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (the Act), a person cannot operate a bingo centre unless they hold a bingo centre operator's licence.

Other organisations or persons can also run bingo where:

no fee is charged to participate, either directly or indirectly, or the whole of the gross receipts from the bingo session are distributed as prizes during the session

the session is not advertised or open to the public, is for the entertainment of the players and is not intended to provide a commercial benefit to the person conducting the session or anyone else.

Where can bingo be played?

Community and charitable organisations may run bingo as a fundraising activity in places such as local halls or club rooms but they need to be declared by the VCGLR in order to hold bingo sessions.

Bingo can also be played in "bingo centres". A bingo centre is a venue or place in which sessions of bingo are regularly held on a commercial basis.

What sort of agreement can be entered into with a bingo centre operator?

A community or charitable organisation authorised to hold bingo may enter into an agreement with a licensed bingo centre operator in order to run bingo on the organisation's behalf.

The pro-forma agreement is a commercial contract between the community or charitable organisation and the bingo centre operator. The VCGLR prepared the agreement, which covers all legislative requirements.

There may be a maximum fee of two per cent from the gross receipts (total ticket sales) for each bingo session, which is to be paid to the operator for their services.

Please note: If the community or charitable organisation is assisting with the bingo sessions, no fee is required.